Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Long gone are the days of weak minded men destroying their marriages through blame, passivity and selfishness. That era is dead. We've entered a new age, an age where men are waking up, stepping into leadership, taking full ownership of their households and fighting for their marriages like their legacy depends on it. Because it does. While the world keeps pushing the lie that marriage is broken, that commitment is a trap, and that masculinity has no place in the household, a rising breed of men is proving wrong. These aren't perfect men, but they're effective, they're intentional. And in this episode, I'm going to tell you exactly what these men are doing different in 2025. The daily habits, the mindset shifts, the non negotiables that are radically transforming their marriages and redefining what it means to be a husband today. If you're tired of the doom, if you're done playing small, and if you're ready to become the man that your wife deeply respects again, this one's for you. If it's your first time here. My name is Michael Riggs. I'm a full time author, entrepreneur, personal development and marriage mentor, husband and father of six. And I teach men all over the world how to live fully optimized, leveled up lives. So if that's something you're into, definitely stick around. Subscribe to this podcast, subscribe to the YouTube channel wherever you're getting this, because that's what we do here every week. And in this episode I want to tell you exactly what those men, the most respected effective husbands of today, are doing differently in 2025. These are habits, practices and principles and most of all decisions. And if you apply just a handful of them, your marriage will never be the same. Hello and welcome to the Warrior Kings podcast. I'm your host, Michael Riggs, here to assist you on your journey to living a fully optimized, leveled up life as a man. So again, welcome and welcome back to the Warrior Kings podcast. It's great to be here today. It's great to talk to you today. Really quick, I just want to give a shout out and a huge thanks to those of you who have signed up for my one month coaching program, my one on one coaching program for, for August. I almost forgot what month it is. Today is the first. So we're diving right into it. Super excited to connect with you guys, help you figure some things out, level up your marriage. And yeah man, today's the day we're doing it. It's happening and I'm so glad that I get to connect with you guys. But for the rest of you, so happy to talk to you today. It's great to be back. And yeah, like I said in the intro to this episode, we've entered a new era, a new age. I get to be on the front lines of that, seeing it. Men actually wanting to be good husbands, good fathers, good leaders. And it's just been super awes, awesome to be a part of that, to see men take responsibility, take ownership, look within. Instead of pointing the blame at everything else for their life falling apart, men are stepping up to the plate. Men are really doing it. And it is, like I said, super awesome to be a part of that and see that happen. And so, with all of that being said, let's dive right into the topic of the day. The first thing that strong husbands are doing in 2025 is taking radical ownership. The modern man points fingers. He blames his wife, his job, his finances, or he blames things from the past, like how he was raised. But the strong husband looks in the mirror. He understands that his marriage, the energy in his home, the health of the connection, it all starts with him. Ownership means no excuses, no waiting for her to change first. It means asking, what have I allowed? What have I neglected? And what can I do right now to lead better? The men who are winning in marriage have stopped outsourcing responsibility and have started leading as the kings of their kingdoms. They've started building a lineage and a legacy instead of an average life, one that on the tipping point of destruction at all times, and you hear me say it all the time. But most men don't look within. They point the blame at everyone and everything else for their circumstances, for their situation, for the sad parts in their life. They never look within. They never look in the mirror and say, how can I be better? So I just want to encourage you today to begin looking within. How can you be better every single day? What can you level up about your life? That is what's going to make the difference. And that is what I call taking radical ownership. The second thing that strong husbands are doing in 2025 is they master their emotions. A man who can't control his emotions is a man who can't lead. These husbands don't blow up in anger or emotionally disappear when things get uncomfortable or difficult. They've learned to pause and breathe and respond wisely, not just simply react. Their wife doesn't have to walk on eggshells. She knows she's always safe and she knows she's safe emotionally. Kind of a tongue twister. There. And emotional mastery isn't about being robotic. It's about being steady, composed, and mature when it matter most. That is what builds trust. That is what builds respect. The grounded masculine, the true masculine is just that. Grounded, safe, still calm, composed, unmovable, unshakable. If you can't control your emotions and if you just react to everything that life throws at you, that is not true leadership, and that is not what strong husbands do. So you need to work on that a little bit. The third thing that strong husbands are doing in 2025 to level up their marriages is planning intentional time with their wives. Most men stop dating wives the moment they say, I do. But the most effective, most successful husbands know better than that. They schedule intentional time with their wives, not just once in a while, but consistently. Date nights aren't optional. Meaningful conversations and connection aren't left up to chance. These men create the space to reconnect, to check in and keep the emotional and romantic fire burning. Because when a man makes time for what truly matters, the relationship grows stronger just by default. And if you've been here for a while, you've heard me talk about this. But I'm a strong believer in what I call at home date nights. Me and my wife hang out pretty much every evening. We have conversations, we talk, we laugh, we love on each other. Sometimes we play a game, sometimes we watch a show or a movie on tv, but we hang out pretty much all the time. Don't find yourself in a place where you're just trying to force time to happen. Like, oh, we have a date night two weeks from now. We got a babysitter, and it's all planned out and it's stale and boring and stupid. Build a true connection, a true friendship. First, it doesn't have to be a whole thing. Just start hanging out with your wife again. Start being her friend again. Then the success of the marriage, the intimacy, the connection will just naturally follow that. The fourth thing that strong husbands, effective husbands, are doing in 2025 is they communicate clearly and courageously. These men don't walk on eggshells, and they don't just stay silent to avoid conflict. They speak with clarity and they speak with love. They speak as wise men, not grown up man boys. They say what needs to be said, even when it's uncomfortable. Because they care about growth. Their wives never guess what they're thinking or where they stand. And courageous communication isn't aggressive. It's honest, direct and respectful. Like we talked about before, the grounded, still safe, calm, masculine. And that kind of leadership Earns deep respect. The fifth thing that strong husbands are doing in 2025 is investing in themselves. The best husbands are always and consistently leveling up. They're reading, learning, working out, growing, spiritually, refining their mindset. They don't just wait for their marriage to better before they start improving themselves. They just go for it. Because when a man grows, everything else around him rises with him, including his marriage. A stagnant man will become a weight in the relationship. But a man on fire, a man in motion that is magnetic. Everybody has an idea of the fully optimized, leveled up version of themselves. Their dream self. What does that look like to you? And what steps do you need to take to begin moving in the direction of becoming that person? I ask myself this same question every single day. I'm right there with you. But if you're not considering these things, if you're not moving in the direction of being your best self, then nothing about your life is going to get any better. The success of your marriage, your family, your lineage, your legacy, the success of everything in your life depends on you making the decision to level up every aspect of your life and get better and better every single day. The sixth. I can never say sixth. The sixth thing that strong husbands are doing in 2025 is protecting their marriage like a fortress. You won't find these men flir with danger. They're not sneaking porn behind closed doors or keeping secrets on their phone. They set clear boundaries around their time, around their energy and their interactions. They set boundaries for themselves. They don't entertain conversations that open emotional doors to other women. Because their loyalty isn't just a promise, It's a lifelong commitment. Their wife never has to second guess their integrity. She feels safe because he guards the gate. And listen, man. Attraction to the feminine is completely natural. There are going to come times when you walk past a pretty lady and kind of think to yourself, dang, that's a really pretty lady. But your wife is your number one. You made a lifelong commitment to her. You're not entertaining anything else. She should be the only one for you, the only one that you want to have intimacy with, the only one that you want to have a true connection with. She should be your best friend and your one true love. And you should guard and protect your marriage like a fortress. And you do that by, like I said, being your best self and guarding yourself from temptation. The seventh thing that strong men are doing in 2020 is leading spiritually. The modern world says faith is personal. But strong husbands know if you're not leading spiritually. Something else is strong men pray for their wife, and they set the spiritual tone of the home. They talk about God, they quote scripture, and they model faith through action. Their children and their wife look at them and they know dad doesn't just believe, he lives it. And that type of leadership builds deep trust and unshakable unity. As a man, it is your duty and responsibility to be the spiritual leader in your home and to lead your family to greatness through faith. Number eight on this list is that they actually listen. Not just nodding the conversation along, not just saying, huh, huh, but by actually listening. These men are present, they're focused, and they understand the importance of this. They listen without interrupting, without fixing, and without dismissing. Their wife feels seen, heard, and valued, not managed or minimized. Listening is one of the most underrated leadership skills in marriage. And actually listening is one of the fastest ways to restore intimacy. Because women want to feel heard. They want to feel understood. They don't need you fixing everything for them all the time or trying to fix them. They just want you to truly listen. And this is why you guys hear me talk about this so often and pretty much all the time. It is the foundation of my work, the man's ability to actually listen. This will level up your marriage, your relationships, even your career. Learning to listen more than you speak. Number nine on this list is they handle conflict without weakness. They don't explain load, they don't ghost, and they don't play games. They deal with tension like men, directly, calmly, and respectfully. Conflict doesn't scare them because they are secure in who they are. And they don't see disagreements as threats. They see them as growth opportunities. Marriage isn't about avoiding conflict. It's about navigating it without losing unity. And listen, man, it is not about winning. That's the mistake that so many men make when they go into a conflict, when they go into a disagreement, they think that they have to be right, that they have to win. There is nothing to win. The only thing to win is her. So shut up, listen, and then lead. And if you want to learn more about conflict resolution, I put pretty much everything that I know about it in my new book, Warrior Husband how to be a better husband and save your marriage. If you don't have a copy of this book yet, I put this out on January 1st, and already thousands of guys all over the world have leveled up their marriage with this book. If you want to save your marriage, if your marriage is on the rocks, on the cliff, about to explode, this book is for you. If you just want to level up your marriage as a strong husband, as a father, as a man, this book is for you as well. This isn't just about saving your marriage. This is going to teach you everything that you need to know about having a happy, thriving marriage and being the best husband that you can be. There's a link to this book in the description of this podcast episode or this video on my link tree. It's available in ebook, paperback and audiobook with digital voice. So definitely dive into this one if you want to level up every aspect of your marriage. And the tenth and final thing on this list today of what strong husbands are doing to level up in 2025, they cast the vision for their marriage. The average man just tries to survive. The weak but strong husbands lead with vision. They talk about the future. They talk about their goals and dreams and aspirations, where they're going. They ask, what are we building? Who are we becoming? They align their marriage with purpose, with mission, with legacy. And their wife isn't just along for the ride. She's building with them and she's inspired to build it with him. And that kind of leadership is how families built on purpose, not just default, not just rolling the dice and saying, let's see what happens to us in life. Listen, man, women want to see a future of adventure and abundance ahead of them. They don't want to see a dead end, it doesn't matter how long you've been married for. They don't want things to be boring, stagnant, the same thing all the time, the same routine. They want to have a dream, a vision for the future. What does your dream life look like? Build it together. Cast a vision of that. Ask yourself, where are we going? Who are we becoming? What's the next level? What's the next chapter? How is it going to be better than right now? Don't get too comfortable. That's a huge mistake that so many men make is succumbing to comforts. It is so easy and so comfortable these days. It's way too easy to fall into routine, daily habits and never going anywhere, never doing anything. Because I don't know how else to put that, man. I mean, succumbing to comforts, like just skipping all the hard and difficult stuff because it's pretty good right now. I'm doing just fine where I am right now. But you need to have some goals, dreams, ambition, purpose. Where are you going in life and who are you becoming? And remember, she has to to go along with you for the ride. She's your wife. You made a lifelong commitment, so make it worth it to her. So these are the habits of strong husbands in 2025. The men who are actually stepping up into the responsibility, looking within, and becoming the best husbands that they can be. And no, they're not always easy. But this isn't about perfection. It's about direction. And every man has a choice. Follow the crowd into disconnection and blame or step up into leadership, growth, and impact. Your marriage doesn't need a miracle. It needs a man who willing to lead with strength, love, and purpose. Be that man. Because strong husbands are changing the world. So that's what I got for you guys today. I hope you got something out of this episode. I hope that this inspired you. If it did, definitely leave me a comment. Reach out to me in some way. I love hearing from you guys. It really helps me to keep doing this, you know, because it's my mission in 2025 and beyond to level up as many men's lives in as many marriages as I possibly can. So if this episode inspired you, if you got something out of this, this, thank you for being here and helping me achieve that goal, There are some links in the description of this podcast episode or this video, wherever you're getting this, where you can learn more about me, what I do, my work. You can find my books on there, my social media pages. You can sign up for the mailing list. You know what, just go down that whole list and do all those things, bro. And yeah, there are great things in store for you in this life. A life of overflowing abundance awaits you. On the other side of you deciding to make the switch, make the change, and level up every aspect of your life, a life of overflowing abundance awaits you. I love you. I'm proud of you. And there is a great purpose for your life. You listening to this right now? And I will catch you guys on the next one. Thanks, guys. Bye.
